Ravela woke in a shell of softness. The cloudy fluffiness of her bed mantled her mind at peace. She smiled as she rolled over and curled in her blanket.

Waking up thus far had been a rather awful affair. This new feeling of bliss and security she felt inside herself, came from the energy she siphoned from the crystals last night.

Stretching and yawning Ravela peeled from her bed. She walked to the bathroom and took off Ramiel’s ring. The glow in her eyes showed no sign of lessening.

After washing up in the bathroom, Ravela went down to breakfast and ate her favorite meal of the day. Laena sat at the table in the usual manner of a teenager who had underestimated their need for sleep. Ravela in her running clothes ate with the self-righteous happiness of the well-rested.

Breakfast had to be kept short on this day since Ravela had to inform Keeper Namon of the new help she found and the change of her plans for today.

Namon already sat waiting in his usual manner on the bench outside the library.

“Blessed morning, keeper Namon.”

To her surprise, Namon got up and began his greeting by apologizing.

“I am so sorry, Ramiel. I got a family matter to take care of today. I hope you understand that this is very important to me.”

Ravela blinked at her luck. Picking up the pace Ravela responded.

“Oh, no problem at all I got offered some help by some students and wanted to tell you that I won’t have the time to go to the library today either. So, I guess we didn't leave each other standing in front of the library waiting. What a relief.”

Namon took this turn of events in stride. He seemed thankful for Ravela’s understanding and excused himself to take care of whatever trouble his family had wrought.

Ravela took her time getting back to Ma Stone’s house. To her surprise, Laena and Safora were already outside waiting for her. Ravela walked deliberately slowly.

“Blessed morning. Are you two ready to run?”

Safora seemed more than a bit grumpy but still seemed eager to get started at the same time. Ravela smiled at the weird little contradiction in her observation. Maybe she would get better at reading people in due time.

“Any changes you’ve noticed so far, Laena?”

Laena responded by shaking her head.

“Hm, I am going to try something once we’re a bit further down the path. Come on then, let’s go!” Ravela said and started running at a normal speed.

The girls were a bit taken aback by the sudden start and hurried after her. They ran for a while in silence. Once they had left the town and Ravela was sure that no oncoming witnesses or stragglers were coming up behind them, she spoke up.

“Alright, let’s see if we can help your alteration along, Laena. Give me the crystal.” Ravela said holding out her hand expectantly.

Laena looked reluctant but handed back the crystal without a complaint. Ravela looked at the honey-colored crystal feeling greed well up in her. ’Mine once more.’

“Now I have a question for you. Are you prepared to try the forceful method? Even if it would be more painful and still might earn you all the horrible results I described before?”

Ravela pitched her offer to Laena as directly as possible. Ravela hoped that Laena would show at least a bit of hesitation, but the girl just eagerly nodded. She theorized that her reaching out with her power to grab Safora and the crystal was the original reason Safora changed at all.

“No hesitation? Good heavens, teenagers have no fear. Fine then, give me your hand.”

Laena held out her hand. The resistance to reason was worrying Ravela more and more. ‘Maybe this entire planet was inhabited by humans who had no comprehension of risk and no fear of death.’

Placing the crystal in Laena’s palm, Ravela put her hand atop the crystal. Closing her eyes, Ravela focussed her telekinesis on the crystal, as she had done yesterday.

The strange energy began to flow into her body, and Ravela tried to focus the direction back toward Laena. Like a glacier, she felt it change direction in a painfully slow fashion. Ravela could hear a gasp from Laena, but she had to keep focusing. Her senses felt as they did yesterday the spread throughout Laena’s body. Once it reached her heart, the energy spread in an instant. Pumping through her whole body, the flow changed from a sirup-like movement to an eager, almost greedy, suction.

Laena groaned, and Ravela felt the contact break. Holding on to the crystal, Ravela stopped her focus and opened her eyes.

On the ground, Laena was writhing in pain as the energy ran through her body. The alteration was happening and contrarily to Saforas absorption of the energy Laena suffered the full effects of all that could happen to one's body.

Safora kneeled over her friend panicking “What’s happening? Is she okay? Did it work? Laena can you hear me? Laena?”

Ravela stepped back. “The alteration is happening. Her body is changing, but it isn’t a painless process, not for her anyways.”

“How can you be so relaxed?! Is it at least not one of the bad things that could have happened?” Safora rapidly fired back.

Ravela leaned against a tree. “Well, she didn’t immediately die. That isn’t much considering the rest of the risks, but it is something. Her bones and flesh don’t seem to liquefy, a good sign. But beyond that? Maybe she starts to hear every thought every person on this planet has right now. Maybe she will burst into flame in a few minutes. I told you, I don’t know how this will go. It’s done. Stand back and wait for the results. Maybe pray for your friend, who wanted this so badly she was ready to take all these risks.”

Safora got up angry, and suddenly she was flying above the ground. Hovering there, huffing and puffing, steam coming from her ears, and cursing out Ravela, who couldn’t quite understand why Safora protested after the fact.

“Could you at least act as if you care about her?” Safora raged.

Ravela pushed herself off the tree. “What makes you think I don’t care for her? I only did this as per her request. But there is nothing I can do now. And I mean nothing. I can’t stop the pain. I can’t soothe them with words. I don’t know her well enough to comfort her. That is your job.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Ugh. You are such a douche. Why are men always such klutzes?!” Safora accused as she tried to get back down in her riled state.

“You don’t know what you say. You barely know who I am. Don’t presume you know everything about me because you caught the slightest of glimpses.” Ravela pulled Safora down with her powers. Down to her friend, who was in agony. At least it wasn’t the screaming kind of pain, Ravela thought to herself.

Turning her back to the scene, Ravela waited.

An hour went by before Ravela could hear Safora and Laena quietly talk to each other.

Once Ravela was certain that Laena was alright, she got down to business.

“So, how do you feel? Any changes?”

Laena looked at Safora and then back at Ravela. “I don’t think so. I don’t know if anything changed, but I feel like a can, under immense pressure. Like a rubberband pulled back and ready to snap. And you two are moving so slowly. Why are you moving so slowly?”

Ravela blinked. “I assure you, both of us are moving normally. Hm, are we talking slowly in your perception too?”

Laena frowned “Not really.”

“Hm, interesting.” Ravela considered what a change in perception could imply. “We’ll find out what exactly changed once you move. Let’s keep running till we reach the other side of the lake. Come on. I know a good spot. From now on, I’m going to run even faster, so if you slowpokes want to stick around, you better keep up.”

Ravela started down the path at a normal pace but increased her speed gradually. Safora kept up with ease, but Laena could only barely match their current rate. But she kept up only that mattered.

“Do we still seem slow to you, Laena?” Ravela asked while slowing down a little bit.

Laena huffed and nodded, too mindful of her breathing rhythm to respond.

“Interesting. Not necessarily a bad thing. If you think about it, someone attacking you, even if they were faster than you, wouldn’t just be able to defeat you. I wonder if your reaction time matched your perceptiveness. For a second, I was afraid that you would be super fast, which would be all kinds of trouble to get used to. But perception and reaction would be easier to help you with.”

Ravela left Laena to her running and sped back up to her former pace. Safora had slowed down with him, seemingly eager to hear what he wanted to tell her friend. Now eager to have her evaluation and wisdom imparted, Safora looked at her expecting something.

“Hm, let’s see how fast you can run when it comes down to it. Laena! Safora and I will run till we reach the spot keep your current pace and if you spot someone ahead on the lakeside slow down. Can you do that?”

Laena pressed out a single word in response. “Yes.”

Ravela now gave it her all and tried to shake Safora from her side. To her annoyance, the girl stuck to her guns. Training someone stronger than herself that could fly on top of that would be hard work. But forming such a person would bring in its own set of benefits down the road.

The last kilometer before her break spot Ravela went into an all-out sprint. But Safora didn’t tire out during that last effort either. Ravela was impressed.

She abruptly stopped at her favorite spot and watched on, with no small satisfaction, as Safora breezed right on and past her. Vanishing behind the next corner before doubling back and coming to a slow stop next to Ravela.

“Well, there is one thing we need to work on. Superstrength, Superspeed, and the power of flight all need one thing, superhuman reaction time.” Ravela concluded while picking her favorite rock.

Sitting on the flat bolder cross-legged, Ravela looked over at Gradjia a small spot from over here. After a while, Laena came into view running down the path. Her speed was superhuman but not the same as Ravela’s or Safora’s. Eventually, she arrived at their spot. Ravela waited for her to stand beside her friend. She spoke after some thought.

“Do you feel that?”

Both stood beside her and had confused expressions on their faces. Looking at each other then back

“Do you feel the distance between normal humans and yourself? The gaping divide between you and your old self. On the other side lies your past. The loneliness you should feel right now is the weight of responsibility such great power demands.”

Ravela didn’t look over staring at the small town thinking about how to set these girls up for a responsible attitude toward their power.

“Looking at the things you value from afar gives you a different perspective. Life is whimsical and cruel, rarely fair, but it is now more than before in your own two hands. These powers shouldn’t define you as a person, but they will. Beware those who’d use such power only for their gain. Beware you don’t become such a person.”

Ravela turned and looked at the teenagers. The girls looked a bit sad over at their hometown.

“You are still human no matter how powerful you are. The cruelest of tyrants, the justest king, the noblest saints, the vilest sinner, none of them exist outside of society but sometimes the worst examples believe they do. Sometimes they even think of themself above all others. Don’t ever live under such delusions. Your powers don’t grant you greatness the people honoring and respecting you for using them responsibly do.”

Ravela clapped her hands together.

“Okay, I promised you I would try to teach you to get a grasp on your powers. This means these morning runs will become a routine, but I won’t accept a lazy attitude like today on every occasion.”

Safora jumped in with no hesitation.

“You also promised that you would share your secrets so what are those?”

Ravela laughed. “No, nonono I said you would keep my secret as per our deal. I never said I would volunteer all my secrets to you. That is different. Besides, I believe you know quite enough already, no?”

Safora made a face as if she had just eaten a lemon. Ravela didn’t mind the pouting girl. Laena chimed in.

“It would only be fair to give us the whole truth before we agree to accept your help.”

Ravela frowned. ‘They want the whole truth? I would love the whole truth!’

Ravela pondered how to tackle this demand.

“You would forego someone's help in your very unique situation because they didn’t tell you everything they knew about themself, even though they are fairly certain they don’t know everything about themself?”

Safora and Laena traded a look. Then Safora spoke.

“Listen, if we’re to put our trust in you there needs to be an open book policy here. We need to know what we’re getting ourselves into.”

Ravela considered their position for a moment. To them she was a stranger and saving their life gave her a great bonus in trust but that trust wasn’t infinite. A sigh escaped her lips. To trust two teenagers with her big secret would be beyond reckless. But do not trust them wasn’t without consequences either.

What if they chose to confide in their parents that this untrustworthy person with superpowers was now in their midst and had given them superpowers while they mime the amnesiac to the rest of town? Ravela held out the hand with Ramiel’s ring on it.

“You say you want the truth. But you can’t have the truth without the consequences. I am offering you help without the consequences of the entire truth. You already know some things about me. I am no villain, I assure you. I saved that bus and garnered no recognition for it. I, though through fate, gave both of you powers that will change your lives. I am offering you guidance and my utmost support. Think about all you gain from me without needing to know any troublesome details.”

Ravela paused.

“I am Ramiel Roice. I hold no grudge against you, your families, or this town. You saw my things. Is there anything that is honestly concerning you? Isn’t that enough to know, for now at least? I am offering you two a good deal. What say you? Let’s shake on it.”

They crossed their arms in unison. Ravela sighed once more.

‘Teenagers.’

“How about a compromise? I will answer any question you ask me truthfully. How does that sound?” Ravela lured them with a very moldable goal. It posed little risk to her and left her with the authority to interpret reality as she saw fit.

They exchanged nods and Safora shook Ravela’s hand.

Ravela smiled. She would honor this deal in a very much Ravela-favoring way. ‘The truth can be as farfetched or as distorted as I can imagine.’

Safora hadn’t even let go of her hand when she fired off her first question.

“So are you an alien?”

Ravela tilted her head. “Define alien for me.”

“Are you from space? Come from a different world through the vastness of the stars?”

Ravela laughed.

“If that is an alien then, no. I am not.” Ravela lied about the truth without breaking their bargain. Somehow this little game gave her a strange sense of pleasure.

“Then what is that suit under your bed that is so heavy?”

Ravela laughed and thought ‘Clothing, little one.’ But decided not to tip her hand about the tainted deal they’d just accepted.

“Well, it is an armor suit. It saw many battles.”

“What kind of battles? Oh, are you an immortal who fought throughout history against some secret cabal?”

Ravela grinned. “I am most certainly not immortal. Battles against beasts with claws and teeth that can leave marks on metal as heavy as my armor. And no, I don’t think I am fighting any secret cabal, order, or anything like that.”

Laena jumped in with a question of her own.

“There were flasks in that suitcase too. What are they?”

Ravela turned her head toward Gradjia and thought ‘Mine.’ and tried not to tear up over the merciless taunting in her head. ‘Be nice. They didn’t know you were an evil spirit that strikes foul deals.’

She cleared her throat with a cough.

“Well, they are different kinds of drinks, I fancy. No alcohol. Just tasty drinks, and one special bottle. That is it.”

Laena moved on. “And what about those rings?”

Ravela was glad her impish grin was hidden from the teenagers.

“Oh, those! I like them all. When I put one on I feel like a whole new person. I am sure you know that feeling with your favorite clothes too.”

Ravela turned around trying to keep a neutral face but could feel the corners of her mouth twitch. ‘Why is this so much fun?’

Ravela got up. “Alright, question time is over, for now, let’s keep running. Laena, I have some ideas that may help us figure your abilities out in detail. They however involve me and maybe Safora, if she can control herself, chucking pebbles at you. Just a little reaction and reflex test. I think we can figure your abilities out fast.”

Ravela began to run down the path in a manner that would allow Laena to talk while they ran as well.